The Push and Pull That Makes Both Sides Better

Just wrapped a weekend of solo parenting—one 17-month-old daughter, one 98-year-old grandmother, one dog with an ear infection, and a living room that now looks like a tiny tornado hit it.

It reminded me of one of the unexpected upsides of traveling for work.

As I sit on the plane to Sacramento to visit two industrial outdoor storage (IOS) acquisitions we’ll be closing later this year at Westlake Realty Group, I’m reflecting on how grateful I am for both parts of my life.

By 10am, I’ll be touring IOS sites, walking yards with brokers, and meeting with investors—a day packed with deals, market talk, and strategy. I love the pace of being a hands-on CEO. On the flip side, I’m hoping to make it home by bedtime to read Dogs on the Beach in Hawaii (our current nightly favorite).

When I’m home, I savor the smallest moments:
• Breakfast with my grandmother.
• Surfing with my dog.
• Swimming with my daughter.

On Saturday, we took a big family outing to the Japanese grocery store so my grandmother could buy Okinawan specialty foods. At 98, she reminds me every day that—even if you’re lucky enough to live nearly a century—life will always feel short.

The two sides of my life fuel each other:
• Investor meetings make me grateful for slow mornings.
• Slow mornings give me the energy to think big about acquisitions strategy and family office asset allocation.

It’s not about balance—it’s about the push and pull that makes both parts better.

(Video: my grandmother and my dog, who helps her navigate public places. Her smile lights up my whole day—hopefully it’ll do the same for yours this Monday morning.)